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Tuesday, December 19, 2017


MIKEY's NEW OP-ED ON HUFFPOST & DAILY KOS

Trump's Tyranny,
MRFF Stands Strong

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

The past year has seen massive backwards steps across the nation, as Washington fills up with those who would see the United States become more divided than ever into "us" and "them".

With the election and installment of Donald Trump as a blight on our country's honor, fundamentalist, evangelical Christians are more emboldened than ever. They gleefully implement the groundswell of Dominionist fundamentalism to spread their message of separation– not of church and state, as our Founding Fathers intended, but of white and non-white; straight and non-straight; "Christian" and "non-Christian."

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF, of which I am Founder and President) has faced dozens of challenges in an increasingly hostile environment over the course of the past year. The violent and divisive Crusader mentality of those in power finds our country's armed forces servicemembers a convenient auxiliary for the dissemination of hatred and the vile practice of "othering". Those who do not bend the knee to their twisted version of "faith" are singled out, harassed and harried, and browbeaten into submission.

Nonetheless, we persist.

[...]

Click to read on HuffPost & Daily Kos


"THE FRIENDLY ATHIEST" COVERS MRFF ON PATHEOS

This Air Force Museum Includes an Inaccurate Display
Featuring a Christian Flag

Saturday, December 16, 2017

There's a museum at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama with the goal of showing what the men and women of the service have achieved and sacrificed over the decades. A couple of months ago, some visitors noticed a display of an airman standing next to a Christian flag (a white cloth with a blue cross on it). It also included a sign explaining what that was all about.

[...]

There were two problems with that display. The first was that it suggested that a Christian flag was an appropriate symbol for all the military personnel in the Korean War. (We saw a similar situation like that when the 9/11 museum in New York City was going to include a display featuring steel beams in the shape of a Christian cross that were found in the wreckage. American Atheists said it was government promotion of religion, but the courts said the display had "historical significance" and wasn't intended to promote religion.)

The other issue, according to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation's Senior Research Director Chris Rodda, was that the history of the flag, as explained in the sign, wasn't accurate. It couldn't be. There were obvious flaws in the story.

[...]

Click to read more on Patheos


Click for background on MRFF's ongoing fight at Maxwell AFB (Gunter Annex)


Inbox logo

We receive an enormous amount of emails at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, both from our supporters and detractors. Through "MRFF's Inbox", we share some of these emails with you.

Click to view MRFF's Inbox

"fuck you and you jew agenda"

From: (name withheld)
Subject: fuck you and you jew agenda
Date: December 16, 2017 at 2:51:16 PM MST
To: Mikey Weinstein

hey mikey jew

whats your problem with the FLAG of CHRIST at the Air force museum?
Every little thing of Jesus makes you go so jew crazy. So jew of you.

Got your long long longest jew nose out of joint again mikey jew boy? All soldiers will bow to the Flag of CHRIST!

Last time we checked there are more white Christians who have bled out and died for our US of A then jews nigras or arab insects. Seriously check them stats.
What say we cut off your circumsize jew prick and display that in the Air force museum?

Hey saw you're wife again at the whore house the other night.
She has the cheapest rates for the longest ride. getteeupp Mrs. Wienstein!
Give her HEY for me and the boys.
See y'all real soon.

And go back to Israel while we'll still let you. Got Auschwits? Arb reit macht frei mikeyboy!

(name withheld)


Response by MRFF Advisory Board Member Mike Farrell

Hey Coward,

No, I don't mean Noel, even if it is that time of year. Coward is a term I reserve for ignorant, illiterate, mealy-mouthed hypocrites who pretend to be Christians while spewing bigotry, hatred and other mindless garbage that proves they are ignorant pus-brains and not Christians. The name Roy Moore ring a bell?

If you knew anything about Jesus you'd know he didn't have a flag and wouldn't bow to one. The fact that he was a Jew trouble you?

As for the rest of the bilge that spills from the garbage can of your mind, think about naughty and nice when Santa skips your hovel.

Mike Farrell
(MRFF Board of Advisors)

Click to read in MRFF's Inbox


"Military EEO Issue"

From: Retired Military Field Grade Officer's/Gov't Civilian's E-Mail Address Withheld
Subject: Military EEO Issue
Date: December 16, 2017 at 11:26:42 AM MST
To: Mikey Weinstein

Mikey, Chris, & the MRFF team,

I'm a retired field grade officer currently working as a government civilian at (military installation name REDACTED). During the festivities surrounding our holiday celebrations such as potlucks, etc., benedictions are offered, but on several occasions the (non-chaplain) person offering the benediction went straight into very sectarian Christian prayers. While the leadership of our office is apparently predominantly Christian, there are other belief systems represented in the rank and file. Forcing the office to participate in Christian prayers in order to enjoy each other's cooking skills is an uncomfortable experience and promotes a toxic work environment that is not in keeping with our Constitutionally mandated secular governance structure.

Within an hour of emailing Mikey and MRFF, I received a very supportive call from Mikey and an email from Chris Rodda that detailed, with references (AFI 1-1 and the 1974 U.S. Supreme Court case of Parker v Levy) that showed that having a commissioned (REDACTED) officer deliver a sectarian prayer is a violation of regulations and a corruption of good order and discipline. Thanks to Mikey and Chris, I was able to provide this information to my unit's EEO representative, who in turn has counseled my office's senior military and civilian leadership on maintaining an inclusive work environment. In the days that followed, Mikey contacted me several times to follow up – a sure sign of dedication to this important cause!

The work that Mikey, Chris, and the rest of the MRFF team perform is crucial to maintaining the wall of separation between our secular governance structures, including our military, and an insidious fundamentalist, evangelical, and dominionist group of religious zealots who would turn us all into sectarian warriors for their particular factionalistic schemes if they could.

I strongly urge anyone who is facing even a hint of religious intrusion in their military work place to contact Mikey and the MRFF to review the situation and work out an appropriate plan of action to address sectarian overreach. If necessary, it's clear Mikey has no problem calling anyone, up to and including SECDEF to engage on behalf of his clients, be they E-1 through O-10 and civilian equivalents, to defend their rights to an inclusive work place.

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes

(all personal identification REDACTED)

Click to read in MRFF's Inbox


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